People stand on a bridge destroyed after a strike in Hormozgan province, southern Iran, Saturday, on July 18, 2026. Photo: VCG

Saturday marked the eighth consecutive night of US strikes against Iran since an interim ceasefire reached last month collapsed last week, according to media reports. A Chinese analyst said while both Washington and Tehran seem to be willing to negotiate, lingering unwillingness on both sides could cause the situation to fluctuate.

In the latest development, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday said it began launching new airstrikes against Iran to "swiftly punish" it for killing American service members, according to a CNN report. CENTCOM announced earlier that two US service members were killed and one is missing in action, marking the first American military fatalities from Iranian fire since March.

The deaths bring the total number of US military personnel killed to 16 since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, Xinhua reported.

CENTCOM later said in a post on X that US forces have completed another round of strikes against Iran, and more than 50,000 US troops in the Middle East "remain highly vigilant."

Iran's Mehr news agency said the US carried out an attack near Sirik in southern Iran, adding that no casualties or damage to infrastructure have been reported. The Tasnim news agency said the US military also targeted a location near Shadegan, close to the border with Iraq, Reuters reported. 

The Iranian army then carried out a drone attack that targeted US military assets and equipment at Kuwait's Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, Iran's state TV reported ⁠early Sunday, citing a statement from the army. Both bases were targeted as part of Iran's attacks against US assets and allies in the Gulf since last week, per Reuters.

Major-General Ali Abdullahi, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has warned the US, saying "any aggression or barbarism will be met with a decisive and devastating response" from the country's armed forces, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

The US and Iran have intensified ‌attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war, Reuters reported.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that the US president's signature was "worthless and unreliable" after repeated violations of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, per CNN.

Iran has suspended its commitments under the deal reached with the US a month ago, Deputy Foreign Minister Khazem Gharibabadi said, according to the report.

At the same time, the US State Department is urging Americans travelling anywhere in the world to exercise increased caution because of heightened tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of what it described as "unforeseen escalation."

The current US-Iran situation could be expected by both sides and the international community, while also aligning with the current balance of power, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times.

While both the US and Iran are willing to negotiate, each has reservations. Coupled with other factors, including Israel, the US and Iran will enter a prolonged period of strategic rivalry, yet negotiations remain the long-term trend, Zhu said.